VA Scandal: Land of the Free, Mistreating the Brave

In the Era of Obama college students throw tantrums over not getting loan relief and safe space. Then illegals demand sanctuary from the consequences of breaking our laws, costing taxpayers billions.

Meanwhile, our vets, our heroes suffer at the hands of the very system they protect. Such is the fate of 73-year-old Army veteran, Owen Peterson.

On Oct 3, 2016 Peterson lost his life while at a VA facility in Talihina, Oklahoma. As has now been widely reported maggots were found in Mr. Peterson’s wounds, while he was still alive.

Obama said he would get to the bottom of the VA “death lists,” and begin giving our veterans quality care. Unfortunately, the solution was not on a golf course or at the home of some Hollywood elitists.

How does a medical facility allow a patient, a veteran to have maggots on a wound and not notice?

Owen Peterson’s son Raymie Parker released the following statement to the Associated Press,

“During the 21 days I was there I pled with the medical staff, the senior medical staff, to increase his meds so his bandages could be changed. I was met with a stonewall for much of the time.”

The excuse given for the death of Peterson, left me in disbelief. According to Tulsa World,

According to Myles Deering, the Executive Director of the State’s Veteran Affairs Department, “Maggots were found while Owen was still living, the staff discovered them. However, the official cause of death was sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening complication from an infection, not a result of the parasites”

Is that supposed to make us feel better?

I’m not sure about modern medicine, but maggots should be a last result, and monitored.

The AP also reported that an unnamed Physician’s Assistant and 3 nurses, including the Director of Nursing quit after the investigation was complete.

This past Monday Bill Hemmer of the Fox News channel spoke with Fox News contributor and possible Trump cabinet appointee, Pete Hegseth, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hemmer asked Hegseth about the state of the VA hospitals nationwide.

“Ultimately, veterans have to be empowered to be able to have a choice.” Hegseth who is the former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, went on to say, “Until they have a choice, they’re not treated like customers. And veterans should be customers of world class service. This incident shows the overhaul needed within the Department of Veterans Affairs, an initiative President-elect Donald Trump is expected to prioritize.”

Hegseth wrapped it up by saying, “It’s going to change when the culture changes and the culture’s going to change when people are fired.”

This incident has been reported to the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Jeff Smith, the District Attorney for Leflore and Latimer Counties. At this time, Smith has still not received the report on Peterson’s death from the VA. The Oklahoma State Department of Health’s spokeswoman, Jamie Dukes said an incident report was received from the VA center on October 13. He has declined to release it publicly due to “identifying information” that is contained within report.

The report not being released reveals names of individuals who were supposed to care for Mr. Peterson. This privacy law is protecting the negligent individuals. Where’s the law protecting our heroes, heroes like Owen Reese Peterson? These laws we have in place that protect the guilty, are laws I pray Trump amends.

To add insult to “death”, the unnamed PA who resigned from the facility where Peterson suffered and ultimately perished is already working again.

We learned that this PA resigned has been rehired at another VA facility in Lawton Oklahoma. The individual was hired, despite the fact that he or she was not only allegedly involved with the negligent treatment of the deceased Mr. Peterson, but also has a history of disciplinary action.

Let’s hope that under the Trump administration we never have another situation such as this.

Raymie Parker described his father as a hardworking Texas boy. He said his dad was a patriot and a country poet.

Mr. Peterson joined the Army in 1969 and served during the Vietnam War.

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